Advent Challenge '15

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Mother's Day books

Looking for some light reading while you swan around doing nothing on Mother's Day? Ok, it's unlikely you'll be doing nothing, but here's a few book recommendations for you anyway.

'The Mothers' Group' (2012) by Sydney writer and mother Fiona Higgins is an easy read and I enjoyed it. The stories of six new mothers are told as they meet through a northern beaches mother's group. They are all very different, from the older mother leaving a strong career behind her to the young mother in her early 20's recently arrived from Indonesia. The book builds to a real climax at the end which you don't see coming ... but you need to read it to find it out.

'Dying for Cake' (2003) is also by an Australian author and mother, Louise Limerick. Not dissimilar to 'The Mother's Group', as it tells the stories of a group of women who have been meeting for coffee since they met through their children's preschool. But it is much darker than 'The Mother's Group'. While I enjoyed both I found the writing stronger in this one. Both books articulate much that is unspeakable for mothers - the loneliness, the depression, the self doubt - and it is good to see that being addressed in literature.

'The Pleasure Seekers' (2010) by Tishani Doshi is one of those 'saga' books, telling a family story that spans 40 years. In the early 60's Babo leaves his home in Madras for London where he is to work and study. He meets and falls in love with the beautiful Sian, a Welsh girl working in London. Sian leaves England to live with Babo and his family and they have two daughters, Mayuri and Bean. There is a lot of humour in this book. Enjoyable read.

1 comment:

Hi Jenny!Thought I would leave this comment at a relevant (bookish) post to say that I have just tagged you to write some spine poetry (in all your spare time) because I am pretty sure you have a book or two.Have fun if you get a chance to have a go.Mx